Major win by Arianespace for Intelsat launches

The 2013 Satellite show in Washington was the centre of some major announcements, not least a new contract for three Arianespace satellite launches from Intelsat. The satellites will launch from French Guiana and take Intelsat up to 2017.

The craft will include Intelsat’s giant EPIC high-throughput satellites which are expected to weigh some 6 tonnes at launch.

Jean-Yves Le Gall, Chairman & CEO of Arianespace, declared: “We are particularly proud to be able to serve the world’s largest satellite operator and we thank Intelsat. It is an honor to continue a partnership that goes back nearly 33 years. This new contract for three satellites—representing the 52nd, 53rd, and 54th satellites Arianespace will have launched for Intelsat— is for us a confirmation of the quality and the competitiveness of our launch services.”